Six dead, seven missing in Kerala landslide

According to revenue department officials, the tragedy was reported from Kattippara village in Kozhikode district, where three families were crushed under the avalanche. (Express file photo by Nirmal Harindran/ representationl purpose)

Six people were buried alive as a portion of a hillock collapsed in Kerala’s Kozhikode district on Thursday, even as heavy rain battered northern districts. Seven people are missing in the incident, officials said.

The State Disaster Management Authority, meanwhile, has issued a red alert in the districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kannur, Kasaragod, Palakkad and Wayanad in view of heavy rain forecast till June 18.

According to revenue department officials, the tragedy was reported from Kattippara village in Kozhikode district, where three families were crushed under the avalanche.

“Thirteen persons, including three children, were trapped under the slush. All the victims belong to three families. The bodies were buried under three to five metre deep slush,’’ the official said. The district administration suspended the rescue operations in the evening due to heavy rainfall.

The hilly regions of Kozhikode district had reported multiple landslides in last the two days as the region has been receiving heavy rain since Monday.

Several towns and stretches of the national highways in the north Kerala remained inundated, hitting traffic movement.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed the Chief Secretary and respective district collectors to take up urgent relief measures in rain-affected areas.

Authorities have also asked people living downstream of Kakkayam reservoir in Kozhikode and Neyyar dams in Thiruvananthapuram to remain vigilant.